


Stay

by poedameronstories



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Feels, F/M, Mentions of Death, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 07:19:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17638292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poedameronstories/pseuds/poedameronstories
Summary: Reader left both the Resistance base and the love of her life behind after a particularly terrifying mission. General Organa and fate work together to bring her back.





	Stay

“General.” You shifted on your feet uncomfortably and tried to think of a delicate way to let someone you respect know they are crazy.  “I’m…not so sure that would be in the best interest of the cause.”

There was a pause, a brief moment of silence and you tensed as you waited for her reaction. The two of you were standing on the landing above the hangar. No one below had noticed you yet, and you wanted to keep it that way.

Instead of a sharp retort, she rolled her eyes.

“Y/N,” she began, her dark gaze studying your face. “You mean to tell me that you aren’t dying to get back out there? Even after seeing all this?”

Your eyes followed her gesture to the hangar below. There were droids and ships and life forms from all corners of the galaxy scrambling to get ready for another fight. It was a familiar sight, though one you hadn’t seen in a long while.

A hangar was home for a pilot, as much as a ship…the energy buzzed through your veins, filling your body with adrenaline and excitement. You gripped the railing, trying not to seem obvious but unable to tear your eyes away.

Nothing gets past General Leia Organa, though, and she turned to stand beside you along the rail, placing a hand over yours.

“I miss it,” you admitted quietly. “But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for me to come back, especially since I can be of use elsewhere. Independence suits me.”

She scoffed. “That’s pure bantha fodder, Captain.”

“It isn’t, General. I still get to fly missions, just on my own terms. And I’m not a captain anymore.”

“It _is_ bantha fodder, you excelled on a team, and since when did you stop calling me Leia?” She reached out and turned you so you were facing her. “When did it get like this between us, where we are so formal?”

You gave her a look. “With all due respect, you know the answer to that question.”

She pursed her lips, then gave a sharp nod. “Well, call me Leia, all right? I get enough of this nonsense from the other pilots.”

Your stomach fluttered a little. You knew another pilot who was likely to give her a hard time, someone who loved the general as much as you did.

Focus. You had to focus.

“You did well on the Hapes mission,” Leia mused. “In and out without a single incident, no noise, and you saved hundreds of lives just that day, did you know that? Your efforts…they’re impressive. Then again, I could always count on you.”

Her praise made you feel good. It’d been a long time since you’d been on the other end of such high praise, and to be coming from her made it extra special.  

You played it off anyway. “Thank you. I was well-trained.”

But it’s not in Leia’s nature to give up that easily. “I bet you’d be even more impressive on your old squadron, you know.”

You didn’t reply. What could you say to that? You knew she was right, but…

The corner of her mouth lifted a little. “I think the Hapan royal family was none too pleased when you started calling Prince Ferrara a moof-milker.”

“But he _was_ a moof-milker. He tried to ask me out about ten times, not quite understanding me when I said I wasn’t interested.” You grinned. “So I called him a moof-milker and told him to leave me alone. Learned that one from the streets of Corellia.”

“I bet.” Something else flashed in her eyes. You knew she had to be thinking of Han Solo, a native of that world himself. He’d been lost last year at the hands of their son, whose name you couldn’t even bear to think.

That was the thing that solidified Leia’s status to you, the trait which made you respect her the most…no matter how many times she was hurt, no matter how many times she was affected or made a personal sacrifice, Leia got back up, dusted herself off, and carried on for the greater good.

You would use that example. You would carry on.

“I can help you,” you relented, your fingernails digging into your palms so that you wouldn’t back out immediately. “I can get the intel for you, I can track down the scope of the threat, but you have to understand that coming back is a different kind of commitment. You saw what happened last time, Leia, I can’t…I can’t let that happen again.”

She deflated a little, eyes softening. “There’s so much we’ve discovered in your absence, so many new facts brought to light about that incident. It wasn’t your fault, Y/N.”

“It was.”

“It wasn’t. I have the datacard to prove it.”

“Fine,” you agreed, turning back to the hangar. “You’ve got the data. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t contribute, and it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for…” Your voice trailed off as your eyes landed on a familiar ship that was landing on the airstrip outside. That X-wing could only belong to one person…

He was here.

The only reason you’d agreed to this little visit was because she had promised that he was off-base, off on some mission.

She promised. She _promised_ you, but she _lied._

_He was here._

Leia’s eyes followed your line of sight, and you heard her sigh.

“Y/N, he’s back early,” she explained, sounding like she was only sort-of sorry. “His last assignment went well.”

“You timed this just right, didn’t you?” You whirled back to her, feeling nervous. “You knew he’d be back early and you thought it was a good idea for me to see him again, to invoke some sort of _nostalgia_ _trip_ or something? That’s…that’s just…”

You didn’t know you were shaking until she reached out and grabbed your arms to steady you, but you didn’t stay to hear any more words of comfort.

“Excuse me, General.” You pulled away from her and headed straight for the exit in search of both fresh air and some space to think.

* * *

It was pretty difficult to avoid someone on a base like this. It was small and organized, a well-oiled machine to fight the evil First Order and one that you knew General Organa - _Leia_ \- took pride in.

You had too, a lifetime ago. You still did, only now it was from afar.

As you wandered through the hallways, unfamiliar faces passed you by in a hurry, which was just fine with you. The only time you really saw anyone you recognized was when Snap Wexley, your old squadron mate, stepped out of a doorway and nearly into your path, but you quickly turned a corner to avoid him.

You just weren’t ready.

From there, you were literally just wandering unfamiliar paths, lost in thought.

Though you still supported the cause, these days you did so free from the restraints of the Resistance itself. You were more of a freelance rebel than anything, using your piloting skills and clever brain to get out of more than one precarious situation.

Your experiences over the last year had given you the opportunity to fly all sorts of ships, though the X-wing was still your favorite. There was just something about them, something familiar and powerful that gave you confidence. You were always at your best in an X-wing, with your loyal droid OI-107 in the socket behind you.

Your feet stopped shuffling you forward the second you realized her plan had worked. You _were_ on a nostalgia trip.

It shouldn’t have surprised you, since she knew you better than you knew yourself most days, but still…you wished you had a little bit of restraint, a little bit of immunity from all this…

…from _him._

You kept moving.

The worst part was, there was a slim window for you to be able to get off base without being seen, since your transport was sat right next to his X-wing. Even if by some miracle you made it past him, there was still about ten other former teammates doing repairs or shooting the breeze at their workbenches who could give you away.

It was pretty hopeless.

“Damn,” you muttered, stopping in your tracks as you stood in front of the open command center door. You moved forward, peering inside to a room full of workers in front of screens and on comm duty.

“Oh my _Force_ , Y/N, is that you?”

You turned on your heel at the familiar voice, and giving your friend Kaydel Ko Connix a smile. Your eyes took in her new headset and insignia. “Senior controller now, Lieutenant? Congratulations!”

Connix grinned. “You know me, I’m the General’s shadow, right? I’m moving up in the world even if she has to drag me by my lapels.”

“Sounds awfully familiar,” you joked, lifting your arms toward her.

She moved forward and the two of you shared a tight hug.

“What brings you here?” she asked, moving back and sliding her headset off, her big brown eyes staring at you in excitement. “Are you coming back?”

“No,” you laughed, shaking your head as you looked away from her and around the room. “I’m just here as a favor to the general. Classified, you know how it goes.”

“Yeah.” Connix eyed you. “Have you seen…?”

“Have I seen him?” You shook your head. “You can say it, Con. I can practically hear your brain working overtime.”

Your friend grabbed you gently by the arm and pulled you into a side room. There was no door, but the two of you were away from prying ears and at least slightly more out of sight there.

“So _have_ you seen him?”

“No. I saw his ship after he landed it next to mine. That’s it.”

She sighed. “I take it you didn’t know he would be on base while you were?”

Your eyebrow lifted. “What do you think?”

“Is it really that bad?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall. “Is what happened so bad you’d abandon us?”

That felt like a slap to the face, so much that you physically recoiled.

“I’m sorry,” Connix added quickly, standing up straight again with regret in her eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way. I don’t – I have no idea what happened that day, and I know you’ve been working for the cause all this time, I just…”

Your brows furrowed a little, expecting another lecture. “You just what?”

Her eyes didn’t leave yours as she moved back out into the main room and motioned for you to follow. “I think you should talk to him, Y/N.”

“I have to leave soon.” You followed her, nodding at a few people as you walked past. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Talk to him,” she insisted, giving you a soft shove out into the hall. “I think it will help.”

“Help me or help someone else?”

You never got the answer to the question as the door slid shut in your face.

* * *

The hangar was quiet around dinner time, with most everyone heading to the mess or their rooms, and most droids going in for repairs or recharging. It gave you a chance to meander around the workbenches, side-stepping a stray tool or two as you made your way through a torrent of memories, both good and bad.

You were weak and couldn’t stop yourself from revisiting the one place that always felt like home when you didn’t have one. The hangar was a place a mix of chaos and respite, something you sorely missed.

That’s when you saw a familiar face, one you felt guilty for avoiding earlier.

He was sitting on his own workbench, cursing every time a spark flew from the ship part he was working on.

“You kiss Karé with that mouth?” you joked, standing a few feet back.

Temmin “Snap” Wexley turned with wide eyes, and the second he saw you he grinned. “Y/N!”

“Hey, Snap.” You offered him a smile of your own. It was really good to see him, even if he was close to the situation. You were glad you waited until the two of you were alone to pester him.

He discarded the spare part and rushed over to you, sweeping you up in a big hug as your feet left the ground.

You laughed, squeezing him back until he set you back on your feet.

“How the hell have you been?” he asked, his face a little flushed. “I can’t believe you’re here! I thought maybe you forgot about us!”

“I didn’t forget,” you shrugged, letting your arms fall to your side. “Not for one kriffing second.”

He took a step back, but his expression didn’t change. “Got something cooking with the General?”

“Classified, Snap, you know that.” You chuckled as his face fell. “It’s nothing too dangerous. Nothing like you guys faced on Starkiller…I heard all about it. That was…”

“Yeah…” Snap ran a hand down his face. “Speaking of, a little Wookiee told me that you had a hand in some of the intel of getting us moved from D’Qar before, well before they- “

“Blew it to pieces?” You looked away, eyes raking over the nearest wall. It had to have been Connix who told. “I had a hunch about some retaliation, and I was right.”

“They followed me,” he confessed. “They knew the location because I wasn’t careful on recon.”

“No, Snap,” you argued, feeling your heart sink for him. You weren’t the only one carrying a heavy weight of guilt. “They followed everyone. There was a tracker on the Falcon, they knew…there was nothing you could do.”

“But you helped us find this place,” he gestured around. “You helped scout for it, helped secure the move. And we’re safer thanks to you.”

You shrugged, feeling your face heat up. Yeah, you definitely weren’t used to this camaraderie.

“Anyways,” Snap continued, leaning back on his heels. “Back to your first thought. Karé and I broke up again. She just said it wasn’t working, which I guess is better than her last excuse that I was a distraction from the cause.”

You stared at him in confusion. “I thought the two of you were pretty strong? The last I heard, Jess told me- “

“We’re over,” he interrupted. “Permanently this time, I guess. She’s focusing on work. That’s all I know.”

“Well maybe it’s better that way,” you mused, turning away. You reached out to touch the side of his ship, running your hand over a panel. “We all know firsthand what can happen if someone’s distracted.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

You whirled around. “Why is everyone so quick to say that? When did I ever say I blamed myself?”

“You didn’t have to ever say it out loud, Y/N,” Snap said gently. “You said it with your actions when you took off.”

Your hands raised in question. “What else was I supposed to do? There was so much happening, Snap, so many people getting knocked off left and right. I – I did what was best.”

“For _you_ ,” he added, eyes narrowing slightly. “You did what was right for you, not for the cause…and not for _him_.”

The mere mention of him from his friend’s lips made tears sting your eyes, and you looked down at your feet, blinking fast.

“Y/N, I didn’t say it to upset you, I just…you have to know we were better with you here. _All_ of us.”

Your next words came out so softly you weren’t even sure if you thought them or said them out loud.

“He almost died because of me.”

Snap definitely heard, because all he did was pull you back into his arms while the traitorous tears finally fell.

You quieted after a minute or so, wiping your eyes as you gave him a grateful look. “Sorry, I’m just a mess…being back here is harder than I thought it would be.”

“Why did you agree to this classified mission, then?”

You stared at him, pondering your next move. Should you tell him the truth? Did it matter, as you were heading out into unknown, dangerous territory, if anyone but Leia knew?

All your life, you were really good at decryption, better than even the top advisors in Intelligence. But since your heart belonged in an X-wing, the General had never asked twice if you wanted to switch jobs. Instead, you took on decrypting messages from the First Order and any sympathizers in your meager spare time, giving any and all enemy messages straight to Leia.  

One of those more recent messages had been a direct threat against _him_.

The second you read it, you checked and double checked, you sought out sources, and you verified that someone very high up the First Order scale of importance had an eye on him and wanted him dead in a spectacular show of strength.

They wanted to make an example of him after Starkiller.

What they didn’t know was that not only were you loyal to your cause, you were loyal to those you cared about, even at the cost of your own well-being…even if your loyalty killed you.

And you would sure as hell die for _him_.

“There was a threat against someone,” you explained, choosing your words carefully, never breaking eye contact. “I’m here to remove it.”

Snap read right through you. “Does he know?”

“No,” you said sharply, taking a step closer. “And he can’t know, understand?”

He let out a frustrated breath. “He always finds out. The General tells him.”

That was news to you. “Not this time. Please, he can’t know.”

“He won’t hear about it from me, but before you go, you need to settle the air. Make things right, Y/N, and get the facts about what happened.”

“I know the facts, Snap, I was there.”

“No,” he refuted, eyes tight. “You don’t know them. But I can’t tell you, it’s not my place. You need to talk to him.”

The thought scared you.

“If I see him,” you whispered, trying to stave off more tears, “then I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to leave him again. And if I can’t leave him, and something happens…”

“Force, this all sounds so familiar. You put the whole galaxy on your shoulders again,” Snap remarked, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “No wonder the two of you were made for each other.”

* * *

You waited until the dead of night on base before letting security know you’d be leaving. Connix had agreed to assist with comm duty to alleviate having to let more people know you were here and that you were leaving already.

As you crept through the hangar, a flash caught your eye and you looked up.

The General waved to you from the walkway where you had first stood and argued with her earlier that day. The two of you were odd like that; you didn’t want to say goodbye to her and she didn’t want to hear it, so you both just waved.

It was more like a ‘ _see you later’_ than a ‘ _this could be goodbye_ ,’ and for that you were grateful.

As you snuck to your transport, which was unmarked and unregistered with the hangar database on purpose, you carried only your bag and your new datapad to keep communication open with the base. Just a little further, and you’d be home free.

That’s the funny thing about fate, though: it sees you coming, not the other way around.

When you slipped past his X-wing and were mere steps from your transport, someone cleared their throat behind you.

You froze on the spot, all feeling leaving your body as the voice of the one man you’d been trying to avoid called out from behind you.

**“It’s been a long time, but you are still the most beautiful creature in this universe.”**

You took a deep breath then another, but you finally found your voice.

“I bet you say that to all the pilots,” you managed, trying to keep some emotional distance through banter. You were pretty good at that – keeping it light made it easier to walk away.

“No, just one. Or at least I used to.”

You heard his soft footsteps come closer until he was right behind you, and you closed your eyes. You would never be able to explain it to anyone else, but it was like your body knew when he was around and it reacted accordingly. A chill ran down your spine and your heartbeat kicked up a notch.

“Y/N,” Poe Dameron murmured. “It’s been way, way too long.”

“Or not long enough. Depends on how you look at it.” 

You turned slowly, and when you finally made eye contact with him, you had to lock your knees to stay upright.

He still was the most handsome man you’d ever laid eyes on, with his brown curly hair in disarray on his head, light stubble on his strong jaw, and the warmest brown eyes you’d ever seen. They crinkled with affection as he took in the sight of you.

He also had a brand new scar on his cheek. You stared at it with a frown, unable to stop your hand from reaching up to caress the skin there. A little flare of anger lit your blood on fire, and you had a newfound urge to destroy the entire First Order on your own.  

Poe placed a warm hand over yours, nuzzling into your touch as he seemed to read your mind. “I’m fine.”

“You aren’t,” you countered, pulling your hand away. “I’m sure Leia told you about the latest threat.”

He nodded. “She didn’t tell me who was running the mission, though. I should have known it was you.”

You scoffed. “How could you possibly know it was m- “

“Don’t use the call sign Yavin4 next time, sweetheart, if you don’t want me to figure out it’s you.” Poe’s tone was gentle and his eyes held a little amusement. “Though I am flattered.”

The tips of your ears heated up a little. You’d used that sign to keep a part of him with you, something you hated to admit to yourself let alone him.  

“Don’t be, I was pressed for time to think of something.”

That wasn’t even remotely convincing, and judging by the look in his eyes, he definitely saw through it.

Ah, well. You never could lie to him…he could always tell.

Poe nodded over your shoulder at the transport. “So you’re sneaking out without saying anything? At least last time you left, you said goodbye first before breaking my heart.”

You shifted the bag on your shoulder, trying not to let that last part get you. “Thought it’d be easier for everyone involved. I guess I was wrong.”

He gave you a wry smile. “The second I saw the transport, I figured you were here. I spent all day trying to think of an excuse to demand to see you, for anyone to tell me where you were. There were rumors all around base, and I asked Con and Jess, and even Snap…none of them would give you up.”

“They’re good friends.” You shrugged one shoulder. “I asked them not to.”

He nodded. “But here we are anyway.”

“Here we are,” you echoed, taking a step backwards, then another. You knew if you stayed another minute you’d end up back in his arms. “I have to go.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Y/N,” Poe informed you, his arms loose at his sides as he stared at you. He never looked so vulnerable before. “None of it was.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be out of contact,” you continued, as if he hadn’t said anything. “So take care of yourself, Poe, okay? I’ll make sure they don’t even get close.”

“Y/N, _stop_.”

His voice was so emotional that you had no choice but to stand there, staring at him in surprise. You never heard his voice sound so strangled before, not even when you fought, not even when he first told you he loved you. This was pure, heartfelt desperation you were hearing.

“Poe, don’t make this more difficult.” You shook your head as your own voice wavered a little. “I have to go, or they’ll –“

“Or they’ll kill me?” he asked, taking a few steps toward you, the fluorescent lights of the landing strip shining in his eyes. “The cause might kill any of us at any time, Y/N, but it doesn’t mean I want you to go. It doesn’t mean that I want to spend the rest of what’s left of my life without you.”

Your heart clenched at his words, and you knew your own efforts in trying to resist him were futile. It was too familiar, he was too intense, too beautiful…he was practically radiating with love.  

And once again, you felt like you were a burden.

“It was a direct threat against you, Poe.”

“I know, I read it.” Poe walked further until he was right in front of you, and your back was against the side of the transport. “I don’t care.”

“Poe…”

“I let you leave once,” he said, eyes locked on yours. “I’m not gonna do that again.”

Force, you’d missed those eyes.

Your stomach was in knots now, with warnings going off in your brain. It’d be so easy to close the space between you, to take him back in your arms and tell him you never stopped thinking about him, never stopped loving him even from the other side of the galaxy…

It would be as easy as breathing…

Your protective instincts took over.

“ _Let_ me?” you joked. “And here I thought you were over thinking that just because you were once my commander you still can boss me around now.”

He didn’t crack a smile. His laser focus stayed with his intentions.

“The day you came in to tell me we were over was one of the biggest regrets of my life. I let you leave without telling you how much I didn’t want you to go.” Poe’s eyes softened. “Y/N, I can’t let you walk away again.”

You made a face at him, still trying to keep things light. “Don’t have much of a choice, flyboy. I’m not your subordinate, and I’ve got direct orders.”

He reached up and cupped your cheek, his thumb running over your skin lightly. “Y/N…”

“No!” you snapped, pulling away. “You don’t get to do this, Poe. I almost killed you last time, remember? My worst nightmare almost came true, or did you forget the whole distraction thing?”

That was the entire point of all of this, the reason you left, the reason everyone wanted you to clear the air with Poe. You might as well accomplish something positive while you were on base.

Even the mere memory of it scared you, he had to know why you left. 

The last time the two of you flew together had been a disaster. The mission started with ten pilots and ended with only the two of you still alive. Right in the worst of it, you started struggling as the toggle got stuck in a vain attempt to blast them all yourself.

There were too many, and your droid let you know that your shields were low.

After you called out for help, Poe’s ship started wobbling around, flying in a weird pattern before hurling toward the planet below. You thought you saw a blast, but you couldn’t remember.

It happened so kriffing fast.

Some backup arrived at the same time that he began his plummet, and you and your droid were safe mere moments later. 

The same couldn’t be said for Poe.

You knew it was too dangerous, knew that going down to him would draw more attention and potentially more enemies to him, and he was too vulnerable to fight them off in that moment.

General Organa gave you direct orders to return to base and leave the crew to get to Poe.

You hated it because you knew he wouldn’t have listened if the roles were reversed. He would have come after you, made sure you were safe. But you stopped yourself, knowing that you’d done enough damage that day.

So you waited back on base until they brought him in, bloodied and unconscious. You waited by his bedside with BB-8, keeping vigil every day and every night until he came to, until he was healed. You told him you were so glad he was okay, that you were sorry, and that you loved him.

And then you told him it was over.  

You didn’t stay long enough to hear his reply.  

“I wasn’t distracted. I was knocked out by the First Order, that’s the only truth there. I know what it looked like, what maintenance told you. I know what Command told you and what the official report said, but Y/N, they were so wrong.”

Your eyes widened at his words. “What? You mean-?”

This whole time you blamed yourself, thinking you’d distracted him at the worst moment. You thought he was worrying about you and your damn guns getting stuck instead of worrying about what was in front of him. You felt like a burden and a dangerous person.

You thought he had been hurt and nearly killed because of you, and that had crushed you into a million pieces. It ended your career with the Blue Squadron and started your years of service as an independent contractor.

That mission changed _everything_.

And now, here he was saying that never happened…saying the last year or so of your life was spent in turmoil, in constant heartbreak and pain, for _nothing._

His face was grim as he watched you. “There was something stuck on my ship and I didn’t know it. Some kind of bomb went off, but it was so small it only knocked one panel out at first. Then the fuel locked up and my engine went, and BB-8 took us down slow. I got real lucky.”

You could hardly believe what you were hearing. “There was…a _bomb_?”

Poe nodded, reaching up to caress your cheek again. “Wasn’t you, sweetheart. I wasn’t flying distracted. Not that I wasn’t keeping an eye on you, but I know how capable you are. My ship was busted, only the computer didn’t show anything was off. My mechanic back on base is the one who finally realized what happened, and that was only after weeks of investigating. The blast didn’t even leave a visible mark on the hull.”

You stared at him in a daze as his words sunk in a little more.

For your sake, he repeated himself. “It wasn’t your fault. And even if I had been distracted, that would have been on me, sweetheart, not you.”

That is what finally what made your legs give out. You nearly slid to the ground, but Poe caught you in his arms, holding you close to him and supporting your weight while you struggled with this revelation.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, pressing a light kiss to your head. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t know if you still cared or not, until…”

“Until?” Your voice was muffled by his shoulder, but you wanted to know.

“The General…Leia, she told me what happened. I was angry and stunned at first, Y/N. I was hurt, but…she told me how you felt when you left. She told me where you were, what you’ve been doing. I’ve kept tabs on you since you left, sweetheart, though she refused to let me come after you. I couldn’t let you go, and I was hoping you’d come back on your own eventually.”

So much wasted time…

You body trembled. “I didn’t want to lose you.”

“You realize how that sounds right?” he asked lightly. “You didn’t want to lose me so you left me?”

“You know what I mean.” You couldn’t bear to say it out loud, didn’t even want to fathom his death, because it was the one thing that truly scared you in life.

Poe’s grip on you loosened a little. “I’m as safe as anyone else. General Organa, she’s got the best team there is. I’ve got the pilots…and now, maybe…”

You pulled back to look at him, feeling a little stronger. “Then was this whole mission fake to get me here? The new threat, and everything I decrypted?”

He shook his head solemnly. “Unfortunately not. But this time, I say we go together. We always did work well on a team, and there’s still a lot to do until the galaxy is safe again, but…”

His voice trailed off, and he seemed a little nervous now, too. 

You watched him carefully. 

“Last time I saw you, you told me you loved me,” he reminded you. “That still true?”

It was. You were sure of it. Your year-long absence hadn’t changed how you felt about Poe Dameron. 

Your eyes flickered to his lips, then back up to his deep brown eyes. You were mesmerized by the look of love and hope you saw there.  

“What do you say?” he murmured.

There was more to that question. 

You knew what he was really asking.  

But with the weight of the galaxy finally lifted from your shoulders, you saw clearly for the first time in a long time, and all you could see was the cause…

…and _him_.

He was yours, and you were his, and you’d face everything and anything together.

You smiled for the first time since he approached. The warmth of his arms made you feel safe, like you were making the right choice. Maybe Poe was your real home. Wherever he was, that’s where you wanted to be. 

“I say, let’s light ‘em up.”

Poe grinned, leaning over to press his lips lightly to yours. “That’s more like it. How about staying forever this time?

You poured all of your agreement into another kiss.


End file.
